Tecogen Ultra-Low Emissions Technology to be Retrofitted to Natural-Gas Water Pump Engine in California

WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tecogen Inc. announced today that it is entering into a project sponsored by Southern California Gas Co.(SoCalGas), along with DE Solutions, and the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) to retrofit a natural-gas powered EMWD water pump engine with Tecogen's proprietary ultra-low emissions technology.  This project will be the first demonstration of Tecogen's emission control technology on a non-Tecogen engine, and an important proof of concept for its wider application.

EMWD's water pump engines serve the municipal water supply and must conform to South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) regulations for pollutant emissions.  The goal of this project is to significantly reduce the need for the high-level of operator intervention now required to maintain continuous emission compliance. The EMWD project is a 225 horsepower engine in Moreno Valley. The retrofit project includes engineering and installation followed by six months of monitoring to confirm successful results.

"Southern California is home to the strictest air quality standards in the country," said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions at SoCalGas. "Developing technology that can help our customers maintain robust compliance to these standards is of paramount importance to us. Our investment in innovative projects like this one helps support the use of clean, low-cost and domestically abundant natural gas."

"The business efforts and costs associated with maintaining the water pump engines within permitted levels is a concern which we hope to significantly minimize with the Tecogen ultra-low emissions retrofit," said Jayne Joy, EMWD director of environmental and regulatory compliance.  "The Tecogen emissions technology will give our engines a much more forgiving control window while maintaining mandated emissions levels including Best Available Control Technology (BACT)."

"We have experienced great success with this technology on our own products and are confident of its transition into other applications," said Robert Panora, president and chief operating officer, Tecogen Inc. "We hope that our participation in this project will help to springboard Tecogen into the retrofit market for many other engine applications."

About Tecogen

Tecogen manufactures highly efficient, ultra-clean Combined Heat and Power (CHP) products including natural gas engine-driven cogeneration, air conditioning systems, and high-efficiency water heaters for industrial and commercial use. Tecogen has an installed base of more than 2,100 units, supported by an established network of engineering, sales, and service personnel across the United States.  For more information, please visit www.tecogen.com. 

About Southern California Gas Co. 

 Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years.  It is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 20.9 million consumers through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities.  The company's service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout Central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border.  SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE). 

About DE Solutions

DE Solutions, Inc. is a professional services company serving the needs of the distributed energy marketplace. Services include application engineering, management, market analyses, technology assessments, business and market strategy support, and technology deployment assistance. Its client base includes equipment suppliers, project developers, utilities, government agencies, research organizations and end users. DE Solutions, Inc. is a California certified small business.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, as disclosed on the Company's website and in Securities and Exchange Commission filings. This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities by the Company, its subsidiaries or any associated party and is meant purely for informational purposes. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Tecogen Media Contact Information:                                                           
Melinda M. Furse                             
Tecogen Inc.                                   
P: 781-466-6444                            
E: [email protected]          

Pat Arcand 
Arcand & Madison PR 
P: 617-251-7778 
E: [email protected] 

Tecogen Investor Contact Information:        
John Hatsopoulos 
P: 781-622-1120 
E: [email protected] 

SoCalGas Media Contact: 
Denise King 
P: 877-643-2331 
E: [email protected] 

SOURCE Tecogen Inc.